Study Notes Growth of Van Nuys Airport

A dramatic increase in corporate aviation coupled with a decline in recreational flying has transformed Van Nuys Airport “into a vitally important business airport,” according to an updated economic impact study released Tuesday.

Airport officials released the report, which supports the economic validity of the airfield, just as state-mandated hearings began Monday scrutinizing a wide range of noise issues that have escalated for years. Findings in the report will be used by airport officials to justify continuing operations at Van Nuys, even though noise levels exceed state limits.

The economic study, commissioned by the Los Angeles city Department of World Airports, concludes that the airport contributes more than $1.2 billion annually to the Southern California economy and generates more than 10,000 jobs.

That’s up from 8,751 jobs and a $940.5 million impact in 1991.

The most notable increase in jobs and revenues is in the fields of private air charter and corporate aviation, according to the report by Wilbur Smith Associates of Columbia, S.C. The study also found that as commercial air travel increased in the region and across the nation, so too has business travel out of Van Nuys, which has long been, and continues to be, the world’s busiest general aviation airport.